Revisiting Bohol: Countryside Tour

Since this tour is meant for my family, I asked my tita to choose between countryside tour and sea tour. I preferred sea tour since I already had the countryside tour before, but my tita and my mom were too afraid of the sea so they chose the countryside tour. Again, Kuya Tatsky's services, with the help of his driver Kuya Bogart, made this tour possible.

First stop: Baclayon Church.

It was built during the Spanish era, using coral stones and guess what? Egg whites. Imagine how many eggs, or unborn chicken for that matter were used for this church. It also has an adjacent museum where you can see old church artifacts.

Look at this photo of Padre Pio, as if embossed in the church's wall. It gave me goosebumps when I saw this.

Your beach wear does not have a room in this church as Boholanos are labeled conservative. So avoid skimpy clothes when you are heading here. For those who still prefers to wear their sandos and shorts (I know the feeling...the heat..humid..), they can provide you with shawls (wrap) while inside the church.

Secod stop is the lighthouse across Baclayon church. This is very memorable to me as this lighthouse is the very first sign of me and my hubby's "destiny" Mushy e? This is also where Cesar Montano proposed to Sunshine Cruz. (Chika minute!)

A view of Baclayon church from the lighthouse.

You can rent a boat here and explore and watch the dolphins at Pamalican Island.

Third Stop: Loboc Church. This is not part of the original itinerary, but since we passed by the area anyway, we went inside for a prayer. Across the church you will see an unfinished church. According to our guide, the one across is supposedly the original church but the Marcoses stopped its construction due to an allegedly "gold mine" beneath it. However, after years of exploration, no gold were found.

The interiors of this church is similar to the Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan.

On the way to the car, I saw this cross on top of a hill. This is where pilgrims go during Holy Week.

On our way to Chocolate Hills, we passed by the Man-Made Forest where we took photos on our way back.

It's like a fairy tale...or a vampire scene =0

Before finally moving up to Choco Complex, we saw this unique Chocolate Hill, half limestone, half coral.

The waiting area where you will surrender your tickets for them to call the driver.

Entrance fee is P50. There are nice, air-conditioned comfort rooms there. Tip, bring your own water, as they sell purified water here double the market price.

There are 2 ways to go to the peak, where you can see a 360 degrees view of the Chocolate Hills. One is by hundreds of steps via stairs... Think Baguio's Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto.

Or the long and steep walkway.

A view from the walkway.

Chocolate Hills galore!!!

As seen in post cards...

A wishing well at the peak.

After Chocolate Hills, we went to the Butterfly Farm to eat lunch. We passed on Loboc River Cruise as we find it too expensive at P400 per head. I've been there and the food isn't remarkable.

After lunch we headed to Hanging Bridge where we bought peanut kisses at P125 for 16 pcs.

For the second time, I refused to cross the hanging bridge. =)

Final stop before going back to the city for the other attractions, Tarsier Place.

Sleepy baby...

Monkeys and snakes are also here! Look!

Back in the city, we dropped by the Blodd Compact Site. Here you can find the cheapest shirts starting at P150/ small.

A view of Panglao Island from the city.

Revisiting Bohol: Dumaluan Beach Resort

The last time I was in Bohol was in 2007.It was memorable because it was my first plane ride and my first out-of-Luzon trip. I was bedazzled by the beauty and serenity of Bohol and promised myself to comeback with the rest of my family.

Thanks to AirPhilippines 88 seat sale last year, I was able to book Manila-Tagbilaran-Manila tickets for my whole family. We were 6 adults and 1 child at a total of about P1,200.00, for the entire group, not per pax. It was indeed a steal!

Though this is a second visit to Bohol for me, it was a memorable first for my family. 

Here are some aerial shots of Bohol.

The flight went smoothly, thank god, and we arrived at  1pm in Tagbilaran Airport. Nothing much changed since 2007.

A year in the making, I researched about trusted tour guides and resorts in the net. In Girtalk, my ever reliable forum, Kuya Tatsky is the most popular tour guide alongside with Kuya RJ, as they are known for low rates and their flexible itineraries. Since we were just 6 pax and a baby, I decided to rent Kuya Tatsky's Innova. Airport transfers are P600 per way and countryside tour is P2,400, as Kuya Tatsky stated in his text "until sawa service" (tour 'til you drop). As far as I know, Kuya Tatsky is the only one offering Innova for mid-sized groups.  Usually, tour guides will offer you either a car (good for 4 pax) or a van (good for 8-10 pax). He also has a van and a car. You may reach Kuya Tatsky at 09223671051.

Here's Kuya Tatsky's Innova, our companion for the rest of our Bohol trip.

On our way to Panglao, I noticed that the tricycles have either a bible passage or some spiritual sayings at the back. Our driver, Kuya Edgar said the it is mandatory for tricycle drivers to put such sayings in their cabbies before they are granted permits/registration.

Panglao is an island and this bridge connects Panglao to Tagbilaran City. Travel time is about 45 minutes.

Finally, we arrived in Dumaluan Beach Resort where I booked 2 Standard Aircon Rooms at P 1,300 per night. The rooms are clean, spacious and can accommodate up to 4 pax. Just add P250 for extra mattress. I chose Dumaluan Beach Resort because the last time I was in Bohol, we were booked at Alona Tropical Beach Resort, along Alona stretch, so after reading good reviews about the Dumaluan side being the more serene and exclusive part of Panglao, I decided to give it a shot.

Contrary to what I am expecting as serene and exclusive, the beachfront of Dumaluan is jampacked with other tourists. Needless to say, the resort is fully booked, too. Here are some shots of the beachfront:

My Akisha is having fun!

See? Lots of people in there! This is crowded than what I remember of Alona Tropical's beachfront. But that was years ago, not sure how crowded Alona is nowadays.

They also have a pool open from 8am to 12 midnight.

This is the resort's resto, servings breakfast to dinner. They also have live bands at night.

Since our rooms are not inclusive of breakfast, we checked out their menu. Their buffet breakfast is P250/head but the viands we saw there was a bit scarce, like corned beef, scrambled eggs, fried rice, fresh fruits like watermelon and fruit juice. So we decided to order ala carte.

We ordered Pancit Molo since my baby is a soup-aholic. This is good for 3-4 pax. But since we're 6 and we still have other food, we were able to have a small bowl each.

Ala Carte Filipino Breakfast at P190. Serving is big, it can be shared by 2 pax, unless you prefer heavy breakfast.

American Breakfast at P180. See those bacon strips??? Good enough for...a heart attack =)

This is my favorite, Pancit ni Yoyoy at P240. If you will eat this alone, its good for 2-3 pax. It's a saucy kind of pancit with seafood, chorizo and veggies. Yum!

Total damage for the hearty breakfast P900+, good enough for 6 pax. Divide it and its roughly the same as the buffet breakfast, however, with this, the choice of food is all in your hands.

At night you can grab a booze like Tanduay Ice or San Miguel Beer at P65/bottle.

My verdict, I am still not sold that Dumaluan  Beach Resort is the more quiet side of Panglao, unless of course you will stay in Bohol Beach Club or Eskaya. The area of DBR is ALSO crowded just like the Alona side, especially at night, where some locals occupy the huts in front of DBR Grill (another food option). Also, it is often low tide in the afternoon so the beach is more like a golf course, just kidding. Whereas, in Alona, or at least in front of Alona Tropical, we never experienced un-swimmable low tide there.

Panglao Bluewater: The Splendid End of Alona Beach

An ideal vacation for me is something that will detach me from the busy and crowded city. Somewhere where one can hear the calming sound of the waves. A place where you can have laid back moments, sip some fresh fruit shake by the shore or have a nice massage by the poolside.  A place called Panglao Bluewater.

Nestled at the far tip of the Alona Beach, Panglao Bluewater is a newly-opened luxurious resort in Bohol. The name might a ring a bell as it is the sister resort of the famous Maribago Bluewater and Sumilon Bluewater in Cebu. The resort is owned by a Cebu-based corporation.

 

 

The 6-hectare resort is now on its soft-opening and will formally open in July. Upon entering its premises, a huge pool between 2 buildings will greet you. For now, only the rooms at the first floor are operational. Each room has a foot bath at the doorstep.

 

The deluxe poolview room has 2 double beds that can accommodate four people. All rooms have a porch, floating beds and a bathtub.

The resort also has 4 lofts that are perfect for a family getaway. However, all lofts were occupied that time.

 

But for families who want to enjoy tranquility throughout their stay, a Family Villa is also available. It has 2 large rooms, own pool, a living room and a sun deck facing a soon-to-be lagoon.

For  couples, a Honeymoon Villa is also available. It also has a sundeck, own pool and a state-of-the-art bathroom that has an LCD TV where you can enjoy your favorite movie while enjoying a warm bubble bath.

 

At the beach front is a nice rock formation that looks like a ladder going down to the main beach area. During high tide, the water here is so clear. A few meters away from the shore are protected marine sanctuaries where you can enjoy snorkeling. The beach front is also lined with trees, a place where you can sit and read your favorite book while breathing in fresh air.

 You can also have a massage by the shore. They will also have Amuma Spa in the future.

 

The resort also has the Seagrass Restaurant that serves local specialties. I was not able to try their specialties but I am sure they are a gastronomic delight.

  

If you wish to have a serene vacation, this place is a good bet, especially now that they are offering preview rates. You may visit www.bluewater.ph or email Ms. Margie Munsayac for inquiries. Special thanks to Panglao Bluewater General Manager Marty Jatillana for personally touring us around the place.